Quote Originally Posted by GreatWyrmGold View Post
I only noticed the lack of a designator when one entry (cloud giant, I think?) specified that 50% of them are Neutral Good and 50% are Neutral Evil. That kind of specificity (as opposed to something like "Neutral Good or Neutral Evil") makes the rest of alignment entries seem a lot stricter...as does implying that there are about as many good goblins as good demons.
And to reiterate, intent does not matter if it is not properly conveyed. When you read the 3.5 orc statblock, you read that orcs are "Usually Chaotic Evil". When you read the 5e orc statblock, you read that orcs are "Chaotic Evil". Whatever the design intent, the two designations leave immensely different impressions on the reader...especially if they didn't think to read the bit in the introduction where minor flavor-ey details were explained and defined.
This is true that it leaves different impressions on the read. I would have preferred them to say "Always Chaotic Evil" where applicable. Like in Warhammer 40k, Tyranids are always hungry aliens that destroy all life in existence to consume and breed and expand. There are no Chaotic Good Tyranids. There is only the swarm and it's singular in purpose. Devils are never nice, they are ALWAYS Lawful Evil. Something like an Orc can go six ways from Sunday.